Good Prospects for Trilateral Cooperation Between Nepal, China and India
Despite a delay in selecting development projects to be executed under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in Nepal, there are good prospects for trilateral cooperation between Nepal, China, and India, especially with the improved relations between the latter two. These relations have long been marked by cooperation and competition; however, of late, the two countries have developed better mutual understanding and friendship, leaving the nastiness of the past behind them. On January 5, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said China-India pragmatic cooperation had entered the fast lane of development, stressing a “healthy and stable” relationship between them was crucial for world peace and development. In mid-June 2017, India and China were on the verge of another military skirmish over a border standoff at Donglang (Doklam) near the Bhutan-China border. However, late last month, these giant neighbors were able to conduct a joint military drill “Hand-in-Hand 2018” in Chengdu in western China. Echoing the improved ties, India’s Minister of State for External Affairs Gen. V K Singh noted these were “a factor of stability” at a time of global uncertainty. In a similar manner, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi said the Chinese “dragon” and Indian “elephant” should dance in a “duet” and avoid a “duel,” while his Indian counterpart Sushma Swaraj underlined the need for collaboration to lead the […]